


Ready

by thatsoccercoach



Series: The Wedding [2]
Category: Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-20 23:32:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14271960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsoccercoach/pseuds/thatsoccercoach
Summary: Claire and Jamie are ready for their wedding. The second one, that is.





	Ready

                                                              [](https://www.homedit.com/empty-glass-bottles-wedding-centerpieces/)

Time had flown since their decision to get married that day nearly eight months ago. Claire and Jamie were now settled in to a small house in which they’d begun to feel quite at home. They’d continued to plan a wedding ceremony that involved their friends and families, fancy gowns, and bouquets of wildflowers. The anxiety Claire had felt associated with the planning had lifted since she and Jamie had their small, private ceremony. Now it was excitement she felt when looking at fabric swatches and trying to find complementary colors or track down flowers that weren’t actually in season. She credited her lightheartedness to one thing only. One person, actually. Her husband.

She almost couldn’t remember what it had been like before him. It was like lights had been turned on in a dark room or a black and white image had been replaced with full color. Everything with Jamie was just _more_.

When she came home from work and he had dinner waiting for her she cherished his selflessness. After a long and tiring shift, when he came home in the middle of the night and she wrapped herself around him, seeking his comfort, she found joy. Even doing menial tasks took on new meaning when they were done for the one you loved. She shook her head remembering earlier in the day when she’d done the laundry. She’d _grinned_ like an idiot when she found one of her husband’s socks stuck in the leg of her jeans. Because he made her life richer just by being in it.

At work, Geillis rolled her eyes every time Claire called someone about wedding plans. “Claire, ye already _married_ the man! Why go through the mess of planning a wedding?”

“We’re only going to do this once, Geilie. Well, twice, but you know what I mean. We both want this so…” she left her sentence dangling. Nobody could spoil this for her. Now that the pressure was off, she was thrilling in every moment of it.

Now that it was drawing close, she had no regrets at all. Not for their abrupt ceremony performed by the district registrar eight months ago nor for all the planning and attention to meticulous detail that had gone into this extravagant ceremony now. And today the planning continued but tomorrow it would all come to fruition.

“And then, James,” the priest who would be performing their “proper church wedding” in an ironically non-church setting, nodded toward Jamie, “As we are standing at the front, the groomsmen and bridesmaids will come in.”

Jamie fidgeted on the couch beside Claire and then stilled when she reached out and held his hand. The whole aspect of planning a wedding is what had driven them to get married so abruptly in the first place. Now the preparations weren’t hindering their togetherness though he still wished the big day was here. Jamie couldn’t wait to marry Claire. Again. He glanced over at her, giving her a smile that radiated excitement. “Aye, I ken,” he answered the priest who’d been asking about the rest of the wedding party. “They understand when to come and what to do.”

“Yes, to be sure. Then your lovely bride will come down the aisle. You’ve selected the music, yes? And given those selections to the musicians?”

Jamie _again_ redirected his attention to the priest so he could answer. “The musicians have the music, yes.” On the Mackenzie side of the family there were several talented instrumentalists who had worked together for the event. Both Jamie and Claire had heard them rehearse and were thankful they hadn’t spent time seeking out professional musicians. These people, family members, had gifts and talents to share and were eager to do so. It was going to be lovely.

“Well, I think we’ve covered all the necessary items. I’m looking forward to tomorrow Mr. and Mrs. Fraser.” He extended his hand first to Claire, then to Jamie before bobbing his head in their direction and heading toward the door.

The wedding was being held at Lallybroch, a grand old estate that was rented out to people who wanted a place to host events. Quite early on in their relationship Jamie he had told Claire the story of Lallybroch. That played strongly in why they’d decided to hold the festivities there. Well, those reasons and the fact that Jenny had deemed it “indisputably perfect” for them.

“My great-grandfather and his family lived there, at Lallybroch ye ken? Weel, times were hard and upkeep was a challenge. I’ve a feeling it would have been a struggle in the best of times.” Claire had snuggled against him as she listened to him tell the story. Her fingers ghosted across his chest, barely touching, but soothing nonetheless. “The influenza struck the village and his wife and bairns were all taken ill.” Claire shuddered, knowing that in spite of recent medical advances, history was not all that far from nipping at their heels.

“And so, in order to pay for the care and treatment they required he began to sell things off one by one. Eventually he sold the entire estate to pay for their care, mo nighean donn.”  A mere three generations ago the family of the man she loved had been irrevocably changed by something easily treatable by today’s standards. The story wasn’t without redemption though.

“My great grandmother and all the bairns aside from my grandda perished,” he told her somberly. Then she began to realize why the devotion to family was so deeply ingrained in her man. “My great-grandfather said ‘twas worth it though, the selling of the land, the loss of everything the family had built. He gave everything just to have his son and it was worth it.”

From then on, Jamie’s grandfather had put aside a portion of his finances in order that one of his descendants might one day have the opportunity to buy back Lallybroch. Now Jamie held control of those funds, contributing his own, all the while holding on to the dream that the Fraser family would live there once more. For the time being, they would have a wedding there.

“I can hardly wait for tomorrow,” Claire murmured, beaming at him.

“Marrying you the first time was the best day of my life. I canna wait to marry ye again, Claire Fraser.”


End file.
